With regard to double needle bar or multiple needle bar rashel machines, several guide bars are combined in a guide bar assemblage. During the stitch forming phase, a cyclical rotation around the rotational axis of the guide bar assemblage occurs which results in a pivoting motion. However it is also possible that the guide bar assemblage is at a standstill and the knitting needles undergo a corresponding relative movement. The pivot and laying movements that are responsible for laying the threads around the knitting needles are generally executed by the guide needles that are arranged on the guide bars and thereby the entire guide bar assemblage follows the movement, while the knitting needles as a rule, essentially only undergo stroke movements. In any event, there a relative movement involved between the knitting needles and the guide needles whereby the guide needles execute a knitting-technical stroke movement.
From DE-PS 959939 it is known to arrange for a height adjustment of a single guide bar by providing guide rods which are supported in bearings on the guide bar by which the guide bars are manually adjustable with respect to their heights. The adjustment of the height position of the known warp knitting machine for the adjustment of the necessary height with regard to the adjustment of the casting-off from the knitting needles is realized in that a pivot trunnion can adjustably be pivoted by the provision of an adjusting screw. A considerable disadvantage in the known arrangement consists in that the adjustment is made manually which does not conform to nowaday's mandates of a high precision adjustment in the respective and desired positions and in a quick manner. Furthermore, because of the pivot motion only relative small and only knitting-technical height adjustments can be realized resulting in a construction which is quite involved and difficult. The adjustment of a complete guide bar assemblage consisting of several guide bars is not possible.
From DE 41 29 723 C2 it is known to provide a warp knitting machine having knitting needles with at least one guide bar whose guide needles undergo a a pivot and laying movement which is derived from the main shaft which results in a relative movement between the knitting needles and the guide needles to thereby lay the knitted threads around the knitting needles. The guide needles undergo an additional movement essentially in the stroke direction of the knitting needles. This stroke movement involves only a very short time period for the respective guide bar to undergo its stroke by way of which the rise and fall in the speed of the knitting needles should be evened out. A further considerable stroke movement of the guide needle bar assemblage during the standstill of the machine has not been described.
DE-OS 20 02 700 describes an arrangement, especially for rashel machines, for the laying of blind layings and/or for the knitting-in of thicker yarns into a basic fine gauge knitting. For this purpose, one or more guide bars undergo a stroke movement, besides their normal swing and rack movement, by way of which the guide needles of the guide bars are being lifted above the heads of the knitting needles (latch needles). This stroke movement serves for the execution of the pattern mandated movements and results in the so-called "fallblechlegungen", respectively serves for the working with thicker threads.
DE-OS 20 10 602 describes an arrangement for rashel machines which makes possible a lift and lowering of one or several pol guide bars. The lift and lowering movement of one or several pol guiding bars is in addition to their pivot and laying movement results in the production of blind layings when plush or velour is being knitted, that is, in the production of so-called "fall blech" layings. The adjustment of the height of the guide bar is only possible during the operation of the machine and then it is only possible with a small pattern mandated shift in height.
Furthermore, from WO 98/26120, a control arrangement for the movement of knitting elements on warp knitting machine is known in which, because of a knitting-technical condition, a guide bar assemblage realizes the necessary stroke for the knitting movements and the cast-off of the stitches by way of a shifting device which is operable either when the machine is at standstill or when it is operating.
Especially with multi-bar or double bar rashel machines, the threading-in of the threads into the guide needles having holes therein is extremely difficult, especially with respect to the innermost positioned guide bar because of the narrow space. Many times it is necessary to disassemble the outer guide needle fitting or the entire guide bar which results in a considerable expenditure of time. Because of the fact that the threading-in of the threads has to be done when the machine is at a standstill, a considerable loss in production is also experienced.
Furthermore, with the so-called double needle bar machines, an adjustment of the space between the two so-called cast-off edges is necessary in order to be able to produce fabrics having different thicknesses. Because of the known machine structure, a change in the cast-off position in the vertical direction is necessary which results in a change of height for all of the knitting elements. Most of all, to change the height position of the guide bars in the known machines is quite involved constructively and expensive because all of the axial supports of the guide bars have to be disconnected and thereafter have to screwed on again. Because of the precision of this activity, a large amount of time is being expended including the requirement of experts.